From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
‘I feel a personal failure that they’re not here’: Relatives of hostage Bibas family lament one year of captivity
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Relatives of the hostage Bibas family speak in a press conference about what it feels like to mark a year since the entire family — Yarden, Shiri and their two children, Ariel, now 5 and Kfir, 20 months — were taken captive by Hamas terrorists to Gaza on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
The ongoing uncertainty is painful, says Ofri Bibas Levy, sister of Yarden who describes not knowing where her family is, whether they’re dead or alive, if they’re being tortured, and if they have food or water.
“Those thoughts are with me every minute — when I have a cup of coffee, or take a shower or see my five-year-old doing something new,” she says. She describes her anxiety when she hears a car outside her house, sure an army official is coming to notify her of the deaths of her relatives. “I carry this anxiety all the time.”
Bibas Levy says she hopes that a ceasefire in the north would force an agreement on both the north and south, and release the hostages from Gaza.
“If there is a ceasefire with Hezbollah without the hostages, it’s like a death sentence for my family,” she says.
Bibas Levy last saw her brother and his family on Rosh Hashanah last year.
The Bibas family members all speak about losing hope some days, after months of appealing to every diplomat and world leader as well as the Israeli government.
“I meet all these important people. I’m not that important, I’m just a person living in Israel, and something horrible happened to my family — that’s why they are meeting with me. It’s surreal,” says Tomer Keshet, Yarden’s cousin, referring to meetings with Hillary Clinton, US senators, ambassadors and more. “It’s a horrible feeling to meet all of these people who have major influence and can’t bring our family back.”
“I feel a sort of personal failure that they’re not here yet,” says Yifat Zailer, a cousin of Shiri.
Zailer talks about the year of mourning for her aunt and uncle, Shiri’s parents, Margit and Yossi Silverman, burned to death in their Nir Oz home on October 7. Margit Silverman, 63, had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. “She couldn’t have run away,” said Zailer, who is sure her uncle, Yossi, would not have left Margit’s side.
“Their house burned to the ground for hours. It took two weeks to find their remains,” says Zailer. Her uncle passed on his red hair to his grandchildren.
“I need to stop and remember, and I haven’t allowed myself to do that until now,” she says. “I haven’t mourned them yet.”
